TUKDUS AONALASCHK^E, Gm.
DWARE THRUSH.
Aoonalaska Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 1, p. 23 (1783).
TJnalaska Thrush, Penn. Arctic Zool. ii. p. 338 (1785).
Turdus aonalashkce, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 808 (1788); Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v. p. 200
(1881); Ridgw. Man. N. Amer. B. p. 576 (1896).
Muscicajga guttata, Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. i. p. 465 (1811).
Turdus nanus, pt. (nec Audub.), Baird, Cass., & Lawr. B. N. Amer. p. 213 (1858).
Turdus (Eylocichla) nanus, Coues, Proc. Philad. Acad, xviii. p. 65' (i860).
Eylocichla nana (nec Audub.), Coues, Ibis, 1865, p. 163.
Turdus pallasi, var. nanus (nec Audub.), Coues, Key N. Amer. B. p. 72 (1872).
Turdus pallasi, b. nanus, Coues, B. North-West, p. 3 (1874).
Turdus (Eylocichla) pallasi, b. nanus, Coues, B. Colorado Vail. p. 21 (1878).
Turdus guttatus, Ridgway, Orn. 40th Par. p. 393 (1875); Belding, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. i.
p. 396 (1879).
Turdus nanus (nec Audub.), Cooper, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. ii. p. 245 (1880).
Eylocichla unalashkce, Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. iii. p. 166 (1880).
Turdus aoonalascensis, Nelson, Nat. Hist. Coll. Alaska, p. 218 (1887).
T. minor * remige secundo quintum haud sequante: supracaudalibus et rectricibus rufis, minime dorso concoloribus,
his saturatioribus fere castaneo-brunneis: hypochondriis cinerascentibus : subalaribus et axillaribus fuscis,
grisescentibus, his ad basin albidis.
By general opinion, the Unalaska Thrush of Pennant is admitted to be one of the small species of
North America, and although the description is unsatisfactory and apparently based on a young bird,
the name of T. aonalaschkce of Gmelin, founded on Pennant’s description, has been now adopted by
American ornithologists, and it is therefore better to follow their conclusions than to reject the name.
This Dwarf Thrush is the western form of the three races or sub-species which inhabit
North America, and are distinguished by the form of the wing, the second quill being shorter
than the fifth (cf. Ridgway, Man. I. s. c.).
The range of the Dwarf Thrush is given by Mr. Ridgway as follows “ Pacific coast of North
America, breeding from the mountains of California north to Kodiak; south, in winter, to Lower
California and Western Mexico as far as Colima; during migrations to Nevada, Arizona, Colorado
(Denver), Western Texas, &c.”
Mr. Nelson (Nat. Hist. Coll. Alaska, p. 218) wr i t e s S p e c ime n s of this bird are in the U.S.
National Museum Collection from various points along the timbered coast of South-eastern Alaska,
including Cook’s Inlet, Sitka, Kodiak, and Chugatchik Bay. It breeds in this part of the Territory,
but appears to be limited to the mild climate and wooded shores of this region, as there are no records
of its occurrence beyond to the north and west.” In the above-named localities Prof. F. H. Bean
found the species not uncommon in July (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 145). It breeds in British
Columbia, as Mr. Rhoads found the species nesting at Field in the Rocky Mountains (Auk, x. p. 24).